More schools than expected are under-performing warns chief inspector

Wales’ chief inspector has revealed there are more schools under-performing and in need of extra support than she had anticipated.

Wales’ chief inspector has revealed there are more schools under-performing and in need of extra support than she had anticipated.

Ann Keane, head of education watchdog Estyn,
said the number of schools requiring closer monitoring and follow-up visits during the current inspection cycle was higher than expected.

In her third annual report launched last month, Ms Keane said 48% of primary schools and 54% of secondary schools required a follow-up visit, with inspectors returning at a later date to consider whether sufficient improvements had been made.

The follow-up figures were up on those recorded in 2010-11, and Ms Keane conceded the picture since Estyn’s new inspection framework was introduced in September 2010 was worse than she originally thought.

Appearing before the Assembly’s Children and Young People Committee
yesterday, Ms Keane said: “It’s higher than I’d expected when I was planning the framework. I had assumed that a third of schools would fall into this particular category.

“But I do have to say that includes schools that are perhaps good overall – and most of their provision is good – but that there are some aspects of their work which are not adequate and therefore what we have is a mechanism where we can actually return and ensure that our recommendations are being implemented.

“So in a way, we have decided to actually decrease the resources for the core inspections in order to focus greater resources on ensuring that there are actual outcomes to our findings.

“What concerned us on the previous cycle was, very often, external inspectors would carry out the work for us but they would just walk away at the end of that inspection and there would be no follow-up for six years.”

Ms Keane said a move to bring inspections “in-house” had paid dividends, with Estyn phasing out its use of external contractors and having direct responsibility for all their reports.

She added: “We have been pleasantly surprised in returning to some schools – we thought maybe there would be some schools that would slide backwards and we would have to place them in certain categories – but what we have found is that they have strived and have actually endeavoured to improve... and I think that that gives the public, parents, government and yourselves as a committee an assurance that those schools are responding positively to Estyn inspections.”

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